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Huron PeakMay 22, 2000 - Southwest Face from South Fork of Lake Creek
Huron was my first peak of the 2000 climbing season and to say that I was in good physical shape would be an overstatement. A long Wyoming winter gave little motivation to be in better shape but the promise of a summer of 14’ers did provide the motivation to get climbing once the season began. I left Cheyenne and car camped at the head of the Clear Creek Reservoir on the road leading up the Clear Creek drainage toward Winfield. For those planning a first trip out to this area, I like this more or less unregulated field camping spot when I need a place to crash in the early or late season and our group’s need for facilities is limited, i.e. on a good day: spot-o-pots of questionable sanitary repute. I got a pre dawn start and drove the maintained road to Winfield and then the additional two miles of track up the South Fork of Lake Creek to a parking spot at about 10,500 feet. This section is marked 4WD but in reality was not a challenge for the Toyota or even a Subaru AWD type vehicle. The road was open to the parking area just before the gate closure and I appeared to be the only climber leaving from this trailhead that morning. I walked on up the road and shortly found the old Hamilton town site (obvious clearing) from which the trail begins its ascent up Huron Peak. I followed the trail for about ½ mile, snaking up through the woods before the snow, obliterated the trail. (I’m writing this in the spring of 2002 and spotting the trail cut today would likely be a cinch but hey . . . we learn over time.) I moved north onto the talus slope that was covered with spring snow and provided a smooth climb up the ridge toward the summit. I was new to snow climbing and by myself, which made for a slow and careful climb and after a while I made a break in the ridge and spotted the summit ahead. The snow was starting to soften, however I made the top without postholing and found myself alone but for the older tracks of others had made the climb from Lois Lake and the Rockdale trailhead. A bite to eat on top and I headed back down a southwest facing couloir toward the spot where I cut off the trail a few hours before. During the descent, I spied the Three Apostles, dominated by Ice Mountain, a high 13’er with challenging routes. Ice Mountain would have to wait for later but there was no doubt it had made the “got to try that one” tick list. I made it back to the truck in mid afternoon and gave thought to what to do the next day. Continue the conditioning plan, i.e. climb another peak, or head for Cheyenne? I headed for Buena Vista . . . Mt. Princeton was on the docket for the next morning.
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